When George Groumoutis and his brother, Tony, opened the A&G Restaurant on Maryville’s Main Street in 1975 it was already the fifth restaurant in their portfolio, which stretched across multiple towns along the Missouri-Iowa border. But from the start, Groumoutis knew he and his family were in Maryville to stay.
“I was impressed with the town,” he said, speaking at his restaurant on Dec. 8. “I had the other restaurants in other towns, but [Maryville] impressed me the most. I knew I would stay and raise my family.”
50 years later, Mayor Dannen Merrill declared Dec. 8, 2025 “A&G Restaurant Recognition Day” and presented Groumoutis and his wife, Susan, with a key to the city for their years of “exceptional service and community dedication.” The festive ceremony took place before the Friday dinner rush, and, after a proclamation reading and photo-shoot, Groumoutis made the rounds amongst patrons, as he’s done countless times over five decades in business.
Members of the Groumoutis family attended the ceremony. George and his brother, Tony, emigrated from Greece and, with no education and little English, they started washing dishes and cooking.
“We started with pizza places back in the 1970s,” Groumoutis said. “We used to open restaurants in the little towns because there was no Dominos, no Caseys. We had the [entire] market.”
He said his story is proof of the American Dream. All four of his children grew up in Maryville and graduated from Northwest Missouri State University.
Looking around his restaurant, with its tall leather booths and warm, seductive lighting, Groumoutis reflected on his success. “The secret is to work here every. In the food business you have to be here, in the restaurant, you have to stay on top of it,” he said.
As businesses have come and gone, and waves of change have rolled through Maryville’s commercial economy, the A&G has remained the town’s prized steakhouse, and a local favorite. Groumoutis thanked the people of Maryville for their unabating support. “After 50 years, it’s history,” he said.
As of now, Groumoutis has no plans to close or sell the restaurant.
